Farce the Music

Mar 8, 2012

Album Review: Lucero - Women and Work

I can't give a Lucero album the review it deserves, so I won't even try. Since I'm too much of a fanboy to be unbiased, I'll just write what I think and let the words fall as follows.

If you didn't like the direction the band went on its previous release, 1372 Overton Park, you probably won't like that they have continued that progression. Horns still reign aplenty, though I didn't notice them as much this time; they've been integrated into the fabric of Lucero's sound. Soul music is still a strong influence on the band… the Memphis sound and whatnot. Springsteen is still in the mix, though less so this time around.

Personally, I don't think Lucero is getting away from its signature sound - no, they're settling into their rightful place.. or at least where they are in the world at this point. This is Lucero, the rock n' roll band. Not the punk band with a country flavor, not the country band with a punk flavor, not the Americana band… the rock band.

The themes haven't changed, though they may be a bit more focused now. Women, whiskey, broken hearts, hanging out downtown - Lucero never strays far from their source material. Write what you know.

The highlights here are the bar-room rocking title cut, the rollicking, piano-intro'ed "Like Lightning" and the gospel-heavy closer, "Go Easy." "When I was Young" is another great cut, heavy on nostalgia and longing.

The lowlights are… well, there aren't any so dim as to take away from the album as a whole. I wasn't big on "Juniper" at first but it's grown on me. If I had to axe one, that'd be it, I guess. I do wish there was a bit more energy present on Women and Work at times, but Lucero haven't in any way settled into the Drive-by Trucker's "sad bastard" songs rut.

Happily, the whole album is a grower. My favorite records of all time are nearly all growers. I wasn't sure how to feel about Women and Work at first, and maybe still don't, but I know that I like it more every time I play it - and I'm over a dozen spins in.

If you've tried to get into Lucero before and haven't been able to get past some indefinable stumbling-block, this may be the best album for learning to love 'em. It's their most accessible work yet. Still no hits on the way, but Ben "sings" (as opposed to his usual full-on, cigarette-throated rasp) a lot more on this disc… that's probably the most jarring thing to me, but it works.

I'm happy to say that FTM's unofficial house band (and my favorite band) is still yet to release a bad album. If I've gotta give Women and Work a rating, I'd say 8/10.

Mar 7, 2012

Favorite Songs of 2012 So Far

Some of these haven't been released just yet, but Lucero, Delta Spirit and Shooter Jennings all come out next Tuesday. Paul Thorn's new album of cover songs, What the Hell is Goin' On?, is due for release May 8th.

These are in no particular order of preference, though my early fave is "Dance in the Darkness."

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Album Review: The Deadfields - Dance in the Sun

If, shortly after hell froze over, the tastemakers of country radio suddenly came to me and said, "Okay, we're willing to make some compromises with you and your ilk. Recommend some bands with the 'authenticity' you so desire, yet a catchy, well-produced commercial-ness that won't alienate soccer moms," The Deadfields are one of the bands I'd suggest. I gave you that massive run-on sentence to basically say this: The Deadfields are catchy as hell and very accessible, but never sacrifice song-craft or soul for the almighty dollar.

Dance in the Sun, the debut album from this "folk-rock" outfit out of Georgia and the Carolinas, is a work representative of the artists the band mentions as influences. Ryan Adams, Wilco, Roy Clark, Wham!, Hanson, Cracker and Vince Gill can all be heard at times in their work, as odd a collection as that is. The Deadfields' new-grass meets pop-folk signature sound puts them squarely in the middle of the roots resurgence of recent years. They'd be a great fit at your local festival playing between the Old 97's and the Civil Wars, or opening for Reckless Kelly at Billy Bob's Texas. It's that diverse (yet cohesive) and friendly a sound.

The albums opens with the sugar-hooked "Carolina Backroads" which is a far better dirt road anthem than you'll ever hear out of Jason Aldean. The Deadfields' sunny harmonies and expertly played strings make this a real steering-wheel drummer.

"Dandelion" is a far better-written and more memorable take on the theme and approach of Blake Shelton's "Honeybee." It's a lively love song that you don't have to feel guilty about singing along to.

There's not an off-song in the bunch, quite honestly. It's a peppy affair; even the darker introspection of "Till the Next Time" comes off more hopeful than hopeless.

While my glass-half-empty side wishes there were a bit more range of emotion, you never get the feeling that the guys are gunning for the cheerful waves of Clearchannel radio or an upbeat car commercial spot. It's just their way, and somehow the perkiness never gets cloying. The guy/gal duet "We Stick Together" veers the closest to cheese, but still sounds way more Bruce Robison/Kelly Willis than Donnie and Marie.

Warning: if grittiness is your thing, steer clear. The music is honest, but it's as clean and crisp as granny's sheets drying on the clothesline.

In my perfect world, The Deadfields would play alongside Jamey Johnson, The Damn Quails, the Dixie Chicks, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Alan Jackson on mainstream country radio. In this real world, I'll just slot them into my playlists and enjoy the hell out of Dance in the Sun.

Recommended if you like: The Avett Brothers, The Damn Quails, Randy Rogers Band, Glossary, Eli Young Band, the Jayhawks, Dixie Chicks - basically anybody strong on melody and heart. Try 'em, you'll like 'em.

Here's a short interview and the song "Carolina Backroads"